The Amazing Moving Stomach*

Second Trimester...Oh!...Second Trimester!

I heard and read so much stuff about how the second trimester is suppose to be better, well guess again Margaret....The heartburn was still intense

I only began to feel worse. however it did die down for a while.



Until...

Week 16, I began feeling a little better and speaking of week 16 this is the week I felt the first few flutters. Yay!

It was weird at first but as the weeks crept up I began feeling it more and more. Then as my ultrasound date was approaching I began feeling the heartburn again just like in the beginning. I was scheduled an appointment on Feburary 26, 2010 for some blood work to check for mental retardation, down syndrome and trisomy (trisomy: The condition of having three copies of a given chromosome in each body cell rather than the normal number of two.)

Now, March 8, 2010...ULTRASOUND DAY!!!

How exciting this was for me and Cory. I woke up excited nervous and got ready. we got there I had a full bladder because I had drunk 2 16.9 ounce bottles of water. I had to go to the bathroom and it was taking them forever to call me.

Finally... "Margaret Martin!"

We walked in, I laid on the table and the technician applied the gel to my belly. He began the ultrasound Cory asked "Can you tell what it is?" the technician said "it looks like a girl...(pause)...I think it's a girl!"

He then let us hear the heartbeat, it was so cool again!
He took a few pics and gave them to us and said that he was going to set up another appointment to come back because he was unable to see and take proper pictures of the baby and her bones.

The next appointment was set for a later date in which I'll get to in a few.

Prenatal visit time! it is now March 19, 2010 and waiting for my results...wait only for the doctor to tell me I have to give blood again because it didn't take or someone messed up the bloodwork I don't remember but it was invalid which is the point. sos we heard the heartbeat talked a little and that was that.

April 5, 2010 has arrived and this was the second ultrasound date.

Talk about a bad way to start the day off... We travel a good thirty minutes to get to the clinic that does the ultrasounds only to find out that the ultrasound area is under construction and I would have to travel another thirty minutes to get back by my house to get the ultrasound. Now mind you they had an entire month to contact patients to inform them of the change but nooo...I was pissed!

Now arriving at the clinic and stressed of having a long wait and alot of people being ahead of me. No need to worry I was called in about 10 minutes and finally the day was getting better.

I got on the table and the technician began and caught a good picture of whether or not it was a girl or boy. That's when she asked "do you know the sex of the baby?" we replied, "no" she said "well it's a girl!" Cory looked at me and said "well it's official."

Yes it was! we are having a little girl, this technician took great pictures too...she said the baby was moving alot and very active but she still managed to shake my belly and get our little angel into the right positions. However this one position she pressed a little too hard and the baby kicked and I was like "ouch! she just kicked!"

she hates to be pressed on...and she make me pay for it later on.

After thinking again that nothing would go wrong and after having numb aching hands for 3 weeks off and on I finally gave in and Cory and I went to the hospital because my right index, middle and ring finger stayed numb for 3 nights straight. I found out I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which is a common disorder of the wrist and hand characterized by pain, tingling, and muscular weakness, caused by pressure on the median nerve in the wrist area and often associated with trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, or edema of pregnancy. I was sad but I know it's for a good cause. I still cannot feel my fingers now on both hands but I'm managing. I still love her!

And guess what now...Later that night...Cory felt her move tuesday night, April 6, 2010. As we were cuddling for bed I felt her kick and put his hand where she had just kicked and she kicked and he felt it. He was excited and telling her he felt that.

Now, 22 and a half weeks along I had another appointment on April 9, 2010. We were told that the blood test were negative and she's fine Thank God!
Amen!

We heard the heartbeat, discussed the (cts) and he told me my options were to

1. Deal with the occassional pain and numbness and wear a wrist brace and take tylenol
2. get a surgery to clip the edema so there can be better flow
3. or make a sling and wear it during the night since that's when it gets worse

 So yeah you guessed it...We'll pray and deal with it since we know it's only temporary but I wont be popping tylenol I need my liver. lol... but it's true!

Then wednesday, April 14, 2010 while Cory was playing the playstaion and I was lying in bed I saw my stomach move so i immediately said "look bae" he said "that was the baby moving" i said "yeah" it was so weird but cool and exciting.

 Alot has happen thus far into the second trimester...I can't wait to share with you all what happens next...

On this wonderful journey!

The Invisible Line...lol

Don' hurt your eyes trying to see the other line it's there just a little evaporated.

You're probably saying what my Boyfriend said, or maybe you're saying "she was tripping!" Nope, it was a BFP!
(big fat positive)

********
okay! 2 weeks later December 14, 2010, I had an appointment and I was now 6 weeks pregnant. How exciting, it was really setting in that I was carrying a miniature Martin-Manley...



The hour worth of paper work then I was finally seen. By a nurse that is...She weighed me and took my blood pressure and temperature and gave me a cup to get a urine sample.

Guess what! then I was sent back into the waiting room for another 30 minutes...then "Margaret Martin" yes it was time to be seen by the doctor!


Yuck! she introduced herself and immediately got right to business. Now I say "yuck" because after introducing herself she said you're getting a vaginal exam. (sorry guys the yuck is for you and 2 times for the women that knows what that is all about)


Ouch! it hurted a little, all the digging and scraping but it was over quick and i asked a few questions to get to know her a bit. I mean that's the least I could've done since she had already seen my private area. Then it was over ;)


My next appointment was scheduled January 6, 2010. But just when I thought everything would be fine, I was hit December 16, 2010 (exactly 2 days after my first prenatal visit) with the unimaginable.

I rushed to the hospital because I had these really bad cramps and could barely walk or move or get out of bed.


I immediately got admitted and seen and they did an ultrasound and I was told that I had a few cysts (cyst: a fluid filled sac that begins to enlarge) that were getting big and that's what was causing all my pain. They told me it was normal and I would have to get another check up to make sure they were going away and not getting larger because that would mean trouble.


I was scared but with the support of my loving boyfriend we got through it. I was on bedrest for 3 days and guess what again? I was fine! No more pain...Yay!



Thank God!!!!



Amen*

********

January 6, 2010, 8 weeks now and at my next appointment nothing much was done...quite boring if you ask me! This was actually the appointent my boyfriend made it his business to interact with my doctor and get to know her a bit. Great effort! he's great...


Then on to my next appointment January 29, 2010 the big day we heard our little angel heartbeat for the first time!!!!!!

to hear the heartbeat right click the link and then choose the option to open in new tab click here !


I hope you enjoy it as much as i did, Probably not, I was obssessed, I put the heartbeat as my ringtone and listened to it every night before bed. I even emailed it and texted it to family and friends. The end of this week I was welcoming my second trimester!



What a wonderful journey thus far...


(note: please email me at ubelongtome@msn.com subject:baby heartbeat! and i will email you the heartbeat.)

The Beginning...

It started when I was about two weeks along...Kind of early to know huh? Well I just knew.
I started coming down with what I believed was a cold and just had the sudden urge to wake up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and have a bowl of soup (preferably Ramen noodles) and a cup of tea.

Then... about 1 week later I began having heartburn, wow! the most painful burn I ever felt internally. I never had heartburn and who would've thought that would be one of the first signs of me being Pregnant!

And it just got worse...

Then week 4 hit and I woke up December 1, 2009 feeling really sick like I wanted to throw up my guts but with a strong feeling that I needed to eat. Weird, huh? I know... I dropped my boyfriend off at the store and told him to call me when he was ready to get picked up. I rushed to a Dollar Tree close by to pick up 3 pregnancy tests.

Ring...ring...ring!

It was him, "Hello, bay where you at? I'm ready." I quickly said "ok bay, I'm right down the street."

What a little white lie. I was stuck in the line at the store behind this lady with her little girl trying to get her to buy alot of candy. Finally she bought her daughter two candy bars and picked her up and quickly left.

"Yes" I said, as I paid for my tests and hurried off to get him.

We made our way back home and I quickly grabbed my bag and went to the bathroom and took test one.

One Minute...
Two Minutes...
Three Minutes...

A really faded line appeared. I put the test in my pocket and threw my bag on the room floor and then he went to use the bathroom.

"Bay, I think I'm PREGNANT," "Why" he said. I then walked into the bathroom and put the used test in front of him on the sink. I told him I knew it was light but as long as you can see it that's a positive. He say he saw it and ok.

I went in the room and laid on the bed and he came in there and kissed and hugged me and said "My baby havin' my baby" So I take it he was excited.

I was excited and nervous so I decided to go to the doctor and they confirmed it and set me up with an O.B. and so we were a month into this wonderful journey!